The Minotaur

Forty centureis ago on the island of Crete in Greece, a Minotaur was born to the Cretan Queen Pasiphae. The Minotaur was a male infant with the head of a bull-calf. Minos, the king, built a labyrinth into which he put the Minotaur and, as most believe, Queen Pasiphae, too. When the Minotaur or "Bull of Minos" reached its full size it had the massive head of a crescent-horned bull that was covered with coarse hair. The hair was matted with drool which dribbled from the creatures black lips. Thye human half was powerful with thick legs from years of carrying the weight of its enormous head. The Minotaur would eat small cave creatures like rats, lizards, and insects most of the time, but it preferred human flesh. It also had great cunning, which made the beast a formidable hunter. Now, every now and again there would a feasts on Crete. When this happened there would alwlays be a sacrafice. Originally theses were just altar-type sacrafices, but now the sacrafices wher to the minotaur himself. The people reasoned that as long as the beast was happy they would have good luck. One time the victims were chosen by lot from Athens: seven maids and seven youths. One of the youths was Teseus, son of the King of Athens. He was a hero renown, and he felt no fear in the face of his certain death. One of Minos's daughters, Ariadne, fell inlove with Theseus, and decided to help him escape the bull if he would take her with him when he left. An agreement was reached, and the next day when the fourteen youths were put in the labyrinth, Theseus was prepared. Ariadne had given him a magical ball of yarn to keep him from losing his way and a sword with which to kill the beast. Suffice it to say that Theseus won, but no one to this day knows how it happened because Theseus never said. Thus, the fourteen Athenians escaped from Minos and certain death.

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